GT500 vs 370Z

Originally Posted by spearfish25

I had a unique opportunity this weekend to drive my friend's new Mustang GT500 around Florida. Having owned my 370 for about 9 months and read quite a bit about the GT500, I was curious how a 540hp hotrod compares to a more refined sports car like the Z. Since I'm sure you guys have probably read about the GT500 as well and perhaps had an owner try to race you, here are some interesting comparisons.

Engine:
Well, the rumble of that V8 is pretty sweet. It's not incredibly loud and is probably on par with a catback and hfc install on our car (in terms of overall loudness). Unfortunately, we'll never replicate that deep rumble. Add the supercharged whine over 4500rpm and it's darn cool to 'get on' this car.

Acceleration:
While the GT500 has incredible power, the weight of the car makes it feel very comparable to the 370Z in terms of butt dyno. There is a more visceral experience with the noise of the V8 though.

Handling:
The car is very responsive to wheel input but doesn't feel connected to the road at all. Despite the low profile 18" tires, I didn't have that sense of the road surface and steering feel of the Z. The size of the car makes it feel cumbersome as well.

Braking:
Those Brembos are nice. Braking is top notch.

Interior 'bits':

Shifter: a very cool pool cue knob and a notchy, extremely short throw shifter. I was amazed at the effort it took to shift gears...you'd think the Z was butter compared to this car. Throws were too short for my liking at maybe 1.5" (unbelievably short). Combining the short throw and force needed to shift, I kept thinking I missed the shift. The throttle response made it very easy to rev match downshifts the traditional way. Clutch 'take' was very much like our car but perhaps even higher off the floor.

Fit and finish:
Pretty darn good. The seats are better than those in the Z. They just fit perfectly and give incredible head, neck and back support. The car is laden with plastic around the dash and center console which reminds you that you're still in a Ford.

Lighting:
I can't believe Nissan didn't do something like this for the Z. You guys tearing apart your cars to change your interior lighting colors would die with envy. All the lighting in the GT500 is customizable (ambient feet, doors, cupholders, and ALL dash lighting). The car's computer lets you change the LED color of all these lit areas and you even have three custom options where you can mix up your own colors. Why a Z doesn't have this is beyond me.

Nav:
Ford put a voice controlled nav in the car which seems to work pretty well. The shining upside is that you can always input a new route using voice commands, but have to stop like every other nav to do it by hand. Gone are the days of pulling over to put your destination in. It couldn't figure out long street or town names, but gives you the ability to verbally spell things which makes up for the shortcoming.

Overall, I like my Z better. We won't be able to compete with the V8 sound, I'd bet our cars are quicker in a straight line unless the GT500 is driven by a very skilled person. In corners, there's no question. Most GT500 owners will be worrying about spinning out while you zip past them given the loads of power, lack of road feel, and beefiness of the car. The GT500 feels large, heavy, and lacks the finesse of the Z.

If you can get a chance to drive one though...go for it .